


A Battle Long Lost

by ClarySade



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alive Bianca di Angelo, Annabeth Chase & Thalia Grace Friendship, Annabeth Chase Becomes a Hunter, Character Death, Character Undeath, Dead Bianca di Angelo, Eventual Nico di Angelo/Percy Jackson, F/M, Grover (Percy Jackson) is a Good Friend, Hades Arc, Hunters of Artemis (Percy Jackson), Hurt Nico di Angelo, I Ship It, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Matchmaker Bianca di Angelo, Minor Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Nico Feels, Nico di Angelo & Percy Jackson Friendship, Nico di Angelo has a Crush on Percy Jackson, One-Sided Nico di Angelo/Percy Jackson, Percico - Freeform, Sad, Starting with a twist, Worth Re-Reading, persassy, sad beginning, you'll never guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:34:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23659948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClarySade/pseuds/ClarySade
Summary: During a battle with Hades after an evil plan gone wrong, one of the members of Percy's group is killed. Now, the rest of the team, Roman and Greek demigods, fight together to restore balance with Hades and try to bring their fallen comrade back. Will they win against Hades and save the world, or will they fail and join their fallen hero?
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Leo Valdez, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo
Comments: 10
Kudos: 18





	1. Annabeth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Book_lover1743](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Book_lover1743/gifts), [Levi_Rivaille933012](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Levi_Rivaille933012/gifts).



> This was originally uploaded FOUR years ago. Crazy right?! Anyways, the writing of the story itself was... bad. The idea, however, was good. The original story has been orphaned and is under the same name. Feel free to check it out whenever you want, but this version will actually be finished. 
> 
> I am officially rewriting it and reposting it here. 
> 
> (p.s. superwholockianSG1, I wasn't sure if you're still active on Archive anymore, but your comments on the original story made me want to continue writing when I wasn't getting a lot of love on here, so to celebrate my still being active four years later, I want to also dedicate this story to you, even if you can't see it.)

I fell on my bunk, my legs giving out from under me; I wasn't sure if it was from exhaustion or pain. Probably both. I knew my face was hard as stone, but I couldn't bring myself to cry. I had already shed all my tears. I hadn't been the only one either. Half of us had practically had to be carried back to camp due to the utter hopelessness we felt in our chests and the sting of tears in our eyes. 

I could have saved him. My hand flew out to grab my pillow before scrunching it up against my face, letting out a guttural scream. I didn't care about the sleeping sons and daughters of Athena around me in Cabin 6. Not tonight. Tonight, they'd have to live with my pain and heartbreak. With my anger, my guilt, my misery. My loss of someone closer to me than any of them could ever dream to become. 

It was supposed to be a quick mission. Go to the underworld. Convince Hades to end his attempted tyranny. Come back for a campfire and s'mores for another job well done. Now... How was anyone supposed to celebrate when one of their friends was dead? 

_I could have saved him!_ I was right there. If only I had turned around just before the cold blade met his warm chest. I could have pushed him out of the way. I could have jumped in front of him. Sacrificed myself to save him. There wouldn't even be guilt or regret. I would have died, knowing I did everything in my power to help them all survive. 

A hand touched my arm, and I knew it was one of my brothers or sisters. Comforting wasn't really our strong suit as children of Athena. We were built and trained for battle strategy. Give us blueprints or maps of a forest, we'll tell you the best attack plan. Give us a crying child, we'll point you straight to Cabins Seven or Ten. I knew how terribly awful they were when it came to sympathy, which is how I knew how hard it was to see me like this.

But it didn't help.

My entire body had shattered when I saw him on the ground. The sword was gone, and the monsters had vanished in a suffocating cloud of black smoke. As much as I wish I had been the one to find him, Nico was the first one to scream out at the sight before him. As quickly as I could, I had spun on my heel, searching through the dark fog that had filled up the large throne room. 

His hair was covered in blood, but it hadn't dried yet. At the time I was too absorbed in trying to understand what had happened while my back was turned, but looking back on it, I wish I had noticed the large cut on Nico's chest, the red liquid pouring through his shirt and into the hair of the boy lying dead below him. I had been too shocked for words. I simply watched the scene pan out, unable to move. 

The rest of them stood around, just the same as I did. Nico had been the only one to run to the boy's side. Not one of us had been the least bit concerned about the sudden disappearance of the God of the Underworld. We didn't care at all about the mission anymore. 

Our attention was stuck on the boy on the ground in front of us.

The pain on Nico's face was more heartbreaking than any other expression in the room. He looked as if someone had personally ripped out his heart and ripped it to pieces in front of him. 

No one knew what to say. Jason could barely walk. Nico was bleeding out profusely. I could hardly see out of my left eye due to the amount of blood that had already dried on my eyelashes. Anyone not injured was busy trying to drag me and Nico away from the throne room. My eyes burned as the pure memory tried to bring tears to my eyes.

The hand on my arm shifted, reaching around to fully grab my arm and pull me to my feet. I was enveloped in a large hug, the arms around me stiff. My hands were curled in front of my chest. I couldn't bring myself to hug back. 

I faintly heard the cabin door open, but not much thought was put into it. My eyes were screwed shut, and I couldn't see whoever it was that had walked in. Part of me simply assumed it was a newly recruited demigod. One that still had the ridiculous idea of staying up late to study attack strategies rather than rest to prepare. Soft whispering in the corner of the room broke me out of my thoughts as I opened my eyes to see who was talking. It didn't sound like any of Athena's children. 

Reyna stood a couple feet away, eyeing me as she spoke to one of my bunk-mates. While I found a part of me wanted to know why she had showed up in my cabin, I found that, at the moment, I couldn't care less. She was probably visiting Camp Half-Blood for Chiron or Jason and simply heard the news. Reyna noticed me looking and for a split second, her eyes held sympathy. 

She turned and made her way towards me. I felt myself recoil, only slightly, when she finally reached me, unsure of what she was going to do. Whoever had been hugging me had moved away. I wasn't sure when. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely making it to my ear. I didn't say anything. I couldn't. What was I supposed to say? 'It's fine. My friends die all the time. No biggie'? 

"Where are the others?" I asked, my voice hoarse. I knew it came out like a croak from the worried glances shared between my bunk-mates, who were smart enough to back away from the two of us. Reyna searched my eyes, and I felt the need to look down. 

"That's where we're going," she said, keeping her voice soft. I furrowed my brows, confused. Before I could say anything, Reyna surprised us all by wrapping me in a hug. She wasn't wearing her normal gear, and the soft material of her shirt easily soaked up the tears that finally started to fall again. "You need each other. Hunters are gathering the rest of them up." I nodded and sniffed, wiping my cheeks as we separated. 

"Thank you," I mumbled out to her. I was worried she couldn't hear me due to how quiet I was, but she gave me a small, comforting smile and she reached down and grabbed my hand, leading me outside. 


	2. Nico

I hadn't even made it inside the door before my hands started to shake. I collapsed into the door, my hands struggling to grasp the handle as I opened the door. The squeak of the hinges echoed around the empty cabin. I stumbled inside, slamming the door shut behind me, not caring about the lonely bed in the corner as I fell to my knees in the center of the room. 

How could he? My own father? He ruined everything. It had taken hours for the Apollo Cabin to sew up the gash on my chest. Every now and then one of them would wince and ask me, 'Did that hurt?' No answer came from me. The truth was, it hadn't hurt. Not nearly as much as how badly it hurt to see him lying there. Dead. Broken. 

I felt my body start to shake as the shock wore off. Now, my body would truly have to deal with the horror of what happened. What the king of the Underworld had really done. Tremors made their way up my body, snaking around each and every muscle as my limbs went numb. It was so cold... I felt bile climb up my throat and I threw myself towards the door, just barely managing to open it and turn away from the small staircase before hurling. 

The acid burned my throat. I found myself unable to move, on my hands and knees, as I dry heaved until tears were running down my cheeks and my stomach was empty.

I had been the first to see him. The monsters had disappeared. Hades was gone. The room was filled with black smoke, but still, I saw him there. A slit in his shirt showed a deep stab in the chest and blood had already pooled around him. I had fallen to my knees, almost instantly. I had felt someone - probably Hazel - try and keep me away, pulling on my shoulders to keep me from getting too close, but I pushed on. 

I had felt the wound in my own chest, but I didn't care. All I cared about was the boy before me. When I reached him, my hands went to his head. My strength was quickly diminishing, and I used whatever was left to pull his head to my lap. I noticed my blood dripping into his hair and tears falling onto his cheek. 

I had brought my head up to look at Annabeth, but she had yet to emerge from the black fog that covered my father's throne room. I had seen her blonde hair and her sword, but she had not come to him as I thought she would. Instead, I was alone, holding the boy I loved for dear life. I couldn't let go... I wouldn't. 

How  _ could  _ he? He killed him. Hades. Anger burned in my chest, awakening almost like a dragon. I didn't care who he was; whether he was Hades, Zeus, Hermes... even Ares, I didn't care who it was, because he still killed the boy I loved, and he would still be killed. 

I rolled over, the cold obsidian on my back causing me to shiver. I slowly pushed myself off the ground, turning my body so I could lean against the wall. Tears clouded my eyes, leaving me almost blind. I saw a blurred outline of a girl walking towards me. Part of me wanted to wave her away, but I couldn't bring my arm up high enough. 

"I'm sorry this happened to you," she said. I was unable to clearly see her face, but I could tell from her voice that she was sincere. I didn't know how to respond. I simply nodded my head and squinted at her. The tears were subsiding now, but I still couldn't place her face. 

"Who are you?" I whispered, my throat protesting against being used. The simple act of speaking was enough to make me wince in pain. 

"Maya. I'm a Hunter," she replied, her voice soft and gentle as if I would break. To be perfectly honest, I was pretty sure I would.

"Why are you here?" I asked. My voice was still quiet and hoarse. I wished, more than anything, that my voice would just be strong. Everything else in my body felt weak and broken. Couldn't my voice be powerful?

"Artemis told us that someone important to us was killed. Told us to come here and that Chiron would tell us the rest... I'm so sorry." I didn't have time to answer, or even react before she pulled me in for a hug. While normally I don't welcome physical contact, I felt my body melt into her hug. 

"You're kinder than a lot of the Hunters I've met," I mumbled. I felt her nod in response before pulling away. 

"Other Hunters are gathering the rest of your group. You guys need each other. I'm here to take you to them," she said, reaching down to grab my hand. 

"Wait," I said, panicked. The sudden urgency in my tone caused my throat to constrict. She paused, looking at me concerned. I slowly, carefully, lifted up my shirt to reveal the cut on my torso, and I noticed her eyes widen. "Please, you can't pull me that way. The stitches might open." I saw her nod as she moved her position. Gracefully swinging my arm over her shoulder, she grabbed my other side and slowly pulled me to my feet. 

My legs weren't ready to be used, and I would've fallen over had it not been for her strong grip on my arms. 

"Are you okay?" she asked me. I took a deep, shuddering breath and gave her a quick nod. 

"Thank you." 

We walked in silence, my strength gradually coming back the longer we walked. As we approached the arena, I noticed a few more Hunters, as well as the rest of my friends. A quick glance to my right showed Annabeth being led to the arena by Reyna. Annabeth looked at me and gave a short nod. I quickly returned it and our attention snapped back to the arena in front of us. 

"Nico!" a voice cried out. My focus landed on a blonde boy racing toward me. He gave Maya a grateful 'Thank you' before taking her spot. I winced slightly as his six-foot tried to hold up my shorter build. He noticed immediately and hunched down for me and I gave a thankful smile. Part of me was surprised he was helping at all. Wasn't he angry with me? 

We walked through the pillars into the arena and I immediately noticed Grover rushing at one of the Hunters. 

"Please! Please I have to see him! You can't be telling the truth!" 

I noticed Reyna step forward to calm him down, but another girl beat her to it. 

"Grover, please," she said. I felt myself stop as the voice made it's way over to me. I knew that voice. "You know how the Hunters feel about Camp Half-Blood. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't important." Grover collapsed on the ground, his goat legs bending at, what appeared to be, a very uncomfortable angle. 

Thalia Grace made her way over to him, kneeling down beside him and rubbing his back. She whispered something to him before helping him stand and return to the group. Will gave a light pull, reminding me that I was still standing glued to the ground. I nodded and continued with him, reaching the others. 

Reyna walked up to meet Thalia and they shared a sad look. I searched around for Maya, but she had taken her place with the other Hunters around the rest of us. 

"He was important to us all," Reyna started, turning her attention to us. I bit my lip and glanced at Will beside me. "Artemis sent us here. She thought it better for us to have each other." 

"You all knew him more than any of us. None of you should be alone during this time," Thalia interjected, finishing Reyna's thoughts. I looked at the group around me and felt pity rise up into my throat. We all looked like crap.


	3. Grover

My eyes snapped open at a loud banging on my door. I jumped up, the force of my weight on my legs caused me to fall. I heard someone mumbling from outside my room, but I couldn't make out any words. Another voice joined in and I raised an eyebrow. Wasn't it past midnight? Why were so many people awake? Why were they waking  _ me  _ up?

"Come in!" I called out, worry finding it's way into my voice. Chiron burst in through the door immediately, almost as if he were going to do it even if I hadn't said anything. Sadly, the action only caused adrenaline to start to pulse through my veins. I found myself ready for a fight, knowing I wouldn't do much damage in my tired state. Chiron's urgent expression faltered for a split second when he saw my pose, but quickly remembered the reason he had awoken me. 

"There's been an incident," he said, shortly. I stood as I felt my eyes widen. He didn't have the opportunity to explain what the 'incident' was. He didn't need to. They had gotten their mission. They went to Hades... Someone was hurt. Maybe worse. I  _ knew  _ I should have gone with them! Before either of us could say anything more, a girl with long red hair pushed past Chiron. 

I cocked my head, slightly put off guard. A bow was around her shoulder, laying almost peacefully against her back, and two short-swords were strapped to a belt on her waist. I recognized the material at once. 

"Why are you here?" I asked her, rather bluntly. I flinched slightly at the harshness of my voice, but the Hunters didn't come to Camp Half-Blood. Given Chiron's urgency and the sudden appearance of the Hunters of Artemis, something was terribly wrong, and I wasn't going to be the only idiot to miss the clues. Thankfully, the Hunter seemed to understand my frankness. 

"Someone was killed during the fight with Hades," she explained. My heart stopped. Even though I very well knew that it was a possibility, I hated hearing it out loud. So much death... I almost couldn't take it anymore. I let out a slow shaky breath, moving my gaze to Chiron, trying to piece something together from his expression. Unfortunately, his face was completely neutral. I could tell he was struggling to keep it that way, but that on its own wasn't enough for me to figure out who it was.  _ Please, Percy... Be okay... _

"Who was it?" The girl bit her lip and turned to Chiron, her expression questioning if she should be the one to tell me.  _ No...  _ "Percy?" I knew my voice cracked, but their reactions to my question were enough to know, and the pain hit me like a brick to the face. 

"I'm so sorry," the girl said, stepping closer to me. Shock consuming my body, I staggered back, throwing my hands up to cut her off. She understood my movement and stepped back to her original spot. I blinked back tears and cleared my throat that suddenly had a rather large frog in it. 

" _ What are you doing here? _ " I mumbled, angrier than I should have been. Why would the Hunters of Artemis be here? What purpose did they have being here after this? 

Clearing her throat, taking a small step back, as if to ask for Chiron's comfort, she said, "He was important to us... To Artemis. She wanted us to be here for you all." I couldn't help as a choked sob escaped me. "The other Hunters are gathering the rest of your group. I was sent to get you," she continued hesitation in her voice. I shook my head, frantically looking at Chiron.

"Go where? I can't go anywhere, I have to see him!" I exclaimed, emotions catching in my tone. Chiron's eyes held sympathy before he walked over to me. Swiftly dropping to kneel before me, he placed a hand on my shoulder. 

"I'm sorry," he said, grabbing my arm and swinging me over to sit on top of him. He stood to his full height and I gripped tightly to his sides, unsure of where to hold onto. It wasn't my favorite thing, riding a horse. Especially a centaur. Anger flashed through me, my grip hardening until my knuckles turned white. How dare he! Throwing me on top of him like some small object!

"Let me down!" I shouted as he ran towards the arena. The wind grabbed my words, throwing them behind me as Chiron kept moving. At the center of the arena, I noticed three other people already standing in a small group: Piper, Jason, and Will. 

Chiron let out a soft whistle, gaining the attention of Jason and Will, both with equally distressed expressions on their faces. They snapped their focus to me on Chiron's back and quickly understood the intent behind the whistle. As Jason and Will helped me down, I noticed Leo, Hazel, and Frank join the group. I grunted as my hooves hit the ground and Chiron ran out of the arena, probably to avoid any strings of curses to be thrown his way from a very ticked off satyr.

"Nico!" Will shouted from my side, sprinting off to get his boyfriend. Jason, after making sure I was okay - and being waved off several times - returned to Piper, holding her in a tight hug. I spun around, almost frantically, trying to find a way out of the arena, but it was hopeless. The Hunters had formed a blockade, circled around us. I sprinted at the shortest Hunter, hoping my size would, at least, throw her off. No such luck. She blocked me with no problem, her super-human strength easily keeping me from getting past her. 

"Please! Please I have to see him! You can't be telling the truth!" I shouted at no one in particular. I couldn't accept that it was Percy. He couldn't be dead. Percy was... Percy. A voice cut through the silence following my shouting. 

"Grover, please," the voice was gentle, and I recognized the voice as Thalia, but I couldn't bring myself to look at her. "You know how the Hunters feel about Camp Half-Blood. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't important." I choked on a sob as I simply fell to my knees as sadness and anguish found themselves comfortable in my chest. I felt her drop next to me as her hand stroked my back, trying to soothe me. I knew what she was trying to do, but I also knew it would be pointless. Leaning in closer to me, she whispered, "I know he was your best friend... He meant a lot to me, too," she paused. "To all of us." 

Tears made their way down my cheeks as she grabbed my arm, helping me to my feet. She pulled me back to the group and took her place at the front alongside Reyna, who quickly came up to meet her. 

Reyna spoke first, her tough voice causing all of us to face her. "He was important to all of us. Artemis sent us here. She thought it better for us to have each other." I sloppily wiped at my running nose, not bothering to stop the tears from falling. 

"You all knew him more than any of us," Thalia said, grabbing Reyna's hand in a comforting way. I couldn't help but wonder what had made Thalia so soothing. She had always treated him kindly, she did with all her friends, but he had never seen such comforting gestures directed towards someone as stoic as Reyna. Had becoming a Hunter really changed her so much? "None of you should be alone during this time." 

I glanced around at the rest of the group, noting that Annabeth and Nico had joined the group. I wasn't sure when, though. Nico met my eyes and he mouthed a quick, 'I tried'. I nodded, thanking him. His head shifted to look at the ground, the pain still evident in his expression. It looked like Will's grip was somewhat tense and stiff, but I moved on quickly, assuming it was from the same emotion the rest of us felt. 

"How are we supposed to be there for each other?" Leo asked, his tone missing his normal joking tone. "We all have our own cabins." Reyna nodded.

"Chiron allowed us to set up sleeping bags, pillows, and any other things you might need here in the arena. We'll be here for anyone who needs to talk or can't sleep." The redhead from the Big House stepped forward, clearing her throat. 

"Some of us didn't know him the way Reyna or Thalia did," she said, gesturing to her fellow Hunters. "We've heard the stories, but if you can't sleep, we'd love to hear about him... About who he was as a friend and ally." I heard a sob coming from somewhere in the group, but I couldn't identify who it came from. 

I'd heard enough. Turning around, I walked over to the closest sleeping bag, sitting down on top of it. In the corner of my mind, I recognized Thalia's voice saying to find a place to sleep, but I found myself unable to look up. I should have gone. I should have gone to protect him. Maybe I could've saved him. Maybe we could've gotten out of this heartbreak. If only I had been able to go. 

A clumsy  _ thud _ brought me out of my thoughts as I snapped my eyes over to meet Nico's. I gave him a tight smile but didn't know what to say. Is there a right thing to say?  _ 'I know you loved him. Sorry, you guys couldn't save him' _ ? I gulped, biting my tongue to keep the sentence from actually coming out. I knew it wasn't their fault. 

After a moment, Nico's broken voice filled the silence. "I'm sorry," he said. I nodded. 

"You too." I noticed him shake his head. 

"I could've saved him," he murmured. "I was right there, I could've saved him." I grabbed his shoulder, recognizing the words from only a few moments prior. 

"Everyone here probably thinks the same thing," I said, trying to convince both him and myself. He bit the inside of his cheek. 

"My father killed him." I recoiled slightly at the murderous tone making an appearance in Nico's voice. He didn't seem to notice. He punched the sleeping bag, anger practically pouring out of him. He winced and grabbed his chest, hissing at the sudden pain. I jumped slightly and grabbed his fist, trying to keep him calm. 

I looked around for someone to help, not knowing the best way to help Nico. There was one person that had always been good at keeping Nico calm and happy, and he was currently being returned from the Underworld in a casket. 

"If you're looking for Annabeth, I don't think she'll be much help," he said, his tone dry. I didn't care if his tone was as dry as a desert, as long as he didn't sound like he would spontaneously combust. 

"What do you mean?" I asked, releasing his hand, curling into a ball at the odd statement. His eyes glossed over and he glanced over to, where I presume, Annabeth was sitting. 

"When- when Percy was- when we found him... Annabeth didn't move. I was the only one to run to him. It was like she didn't even care. Like she didn't care, Grover!" 

"Maybe she was in shock?" I asked, trying to find an excuse for her odd behavior. Nico shot a glare at me.

"Shock had nothing to do with it. She was able to go over to Jason and Leo and Piper after a minute or two had passed," he said. I furrowed my brows, unsure of what to say. 

"How did... how did he look?" I asked, trying to change the subject. I needed to know if the death had at least been quick. Tears began falling down his face as the image was brought back to the front of his mind. Although, if I had to guess, I didn't think the image had ever left it's spot front and center. 

"It was a-a quick stab wound. In the chest. I don't think he felt anything," he muttered, his voice failing. I nodded and looked up at the sky. 

"I know you did everything you could," I said. I felt Nico lay down next to where I was sitting and I inched forwards to allow him more space. Just as I was about to lie down, I heard the familiar - and angering -  _ clop _ of Chiron's hooves. I stood and turned to the sound. 

He gestured for me to follow him, and after much silent arguing, I eventually sulked over to him. He made the same motion to Annabeth and she arrived at his side much quicker than I did. Given the information I had received from Nico, I wasn't too happy to be in Annabeth's company. This had better be important.

"What's wrong, Chiron?" she asked him. He glanced at her over his shoulder, as if debating whether he should tell her. 

"Rachel. She says that something is wrong." 

"Like a prophecy?" she questioned further. I kept quiet, allowing her to figure it all out. To be completely honest, I wasn't sure why I was being dragged into it. Chiron nodded, and I felt my pulse quicken. Another prophecy? For real?  _ Now? _ Annabeth seemed to share my train of thought. "What could be so important, now of all times?" Chiron stopped and turned on her, giving her a look. 

"I understand that now isn't the best time for you all. I apologize for making you do this, now, but Rachel needs to give this prophecy, and you need to hear it. If I were you, I'd be careful how you speak of the Oracle," he said, his voice eerily low. I gulped, looking at Annabeth. Strangely, her expression had hardly changed, almost completely stoic. She nodded curtly, allowing Chiron to continue, keeping quiet until we entered the Big House. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is longer than the previous chapters. I just thought this one deserved more, considering Grover and Percy were best friends.


	4. Percy

I walked up to the front doors of the Big House, Annabeth and Grover by my side. I shared a nervous glance with the three of them, hoping they would understand my unspoken question: what was so important that they needed all three of us? Grover simply looked down, avoiding my look, and Annabeth grabbed my shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. I planted a short kiss on her lips as a thank you before opening the doors.

Grover quickly stepped in front of me, leading us to where Chiron wanted to meet. I noticed Dionysus asleep, spread-eagle, on one of the couches we passed by, and I couldn't tell if I was amused or disgusted. Dionysus was supposed to be the clever God of Wine. Instead, I got stuck with Mr. D, master of forgetting people's names, trying to get drunk, and hating on all of the demigods of Camp Half-Blood. Sometimes, I would find satisfaction in the way he drank himself into a soda coma, but I was not a fan of the sloppy appearance. 

My focus moved to where we were walking. Muscle memory helped me realize that we were going to Chiron's office, which made the most amount of sense but only made my uneasiness grow. I internalized a groan. Was the world ending again? I don't think I could handle another war. Not after the destruction caused by the most recent one, anyways. 

"Hey," Annabeth said, snapping me from my thoughts. She was getting quite good at helping take my mind off the war. It was almost like she had memorized the expressions. I wouldn't put it past her. I looked at her, my face full of worry I was trying to keep under the surface. "It'll be fine. Whatever it is, we'll do it together. It's probably nothing anyway." I nodded, not trusting my voice to get a response out. She seemed to understand and let me be, reaching down to clasp my hand. 

Grover pushed open the doors to Chiron's office, not even bothering to knock, and a part of me was shocked at his actions. Chiron didn't seem to mind, turning away from the window. I saw worry lines in his forehead and I bit my lip, squeezing Annabeth's hand. 

"I don't mean to worry you by bringing you here," he started. 

"No, it's all good," I said before I could stop it. "I don't mind being torn away from training without a reason." I felt Annabeth's eyes on me, and I noticed Grover give me a warning look. Chiron, however, just stared at me harder, as if trying to figure me out. It wasn't the best feeling, but I was used to it. I knew I hadn't been the same. What can I say? Not every guy goes through what I do. If anything, I was a real trooper for doing it all and not dying of stress. 

"I didn't want to worry everyone else in camp, but I have a job for you and the rest of your group," he said, seemingly forgetting about my comment. I narrowed my eyes slightly. Why does he need all of us?

"What's happened, Chiron?" I asked, hoping to get right to the point. His gaze shifted between the three of us. 

"Hades."

My eyes widened and Annabeth's grip loosened. I brought my hands up to my head, running them through my hair. I almost didn't even need to hear what he had done before stressing out about the soon-to-be mission.  _ Almost.  _ "What did he do?"

"Word from Zeus is that Hades is planning to take over Olympus," he started. Before he could finish, I cut him off.

"I hate to say this, but Zeus isn't the most trustworthy of the Gods," I whispered, thinking that  _ maybe _ he couldn't hear me if I was quiet. No such luck. Above us, I heard thunder crack through the sky and I winced. Chiron looked at me with something that looked a lot like amusement before returning to his point. 

"Your father said so, as well." I bit my tongue, my lip almost coming up into a pout. As much as I hated to admit it, I did trust Poseidon. Okay, so Hades is trying to take over Olympus. 

"Why would Hades do something like that?" Annabeth chimed in, stepping up to be directly beside me. Chiron looked down slightly, then out the window, pity flashing across his expression. 

"The word is that his daughter has been convincing him that he deserves better than the Underworld," he said. My brows drew together, all anxiety from the mission fading as Nico's sister made her way into the conversation. 

"Bianca?" I asked, incredulously. Chiron nodded. I shook my head in response. "Bianca would never actively suggest for Hades to go against all the gods on Olympus." My voice had turned defensive, and I took a step forward. If only Nico were here to hear this. The gods accusing Bianca for Hades wanting a different domain. 

"I never said it was the truth. Ares, Aphrodite, and Athena have spoken their ideas for what could have brought this on. Given their strengths, the rest of the gods believed them," Chiron explained. I could tell from his expression that he didn't believe it to be the truth, but I could also tell that he had no choice but to relay the information to us. 

I turned my head away, walking over to the window. I found my eyes searching for Nico, wishing I could ask him to come in and help me defend Bianca, but I knew there was no point. Forcing Nico to hear the reasons the gods were coming up with would only hurt him, and I would never wish for him to be in that pain again, so I turned to face the others, resting my hands on the window sill. 

"Alright," I said, practically talking through my teeth. "What do you want us to do?" 

"This shouldn't be too long. I want you to confront Hades and convince him that nothing good will come from his revolution." I heard a short breath come from Grover and I felt sympathy in the back of my throat. Grover hated it in the Underworld. 

"C-Can I come, too?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady given the mass amount of new information. Chiron shook his head, turning to face the satyr. 

"I'm sorry, but no. We need you here. We found a young satyr hiding away in the woods just outside of camp. She needs your help getting adjusted," he said. I saw determination flash in his eyes, and I leaned against the window. 

"The council can do that. What if they get into trouble down there?" Chiron shook his head, once again. I felt bad, but I knew that the decision was for the best. Grover being held behind would be a bad option in any other circumstance, given his protective qualities, but if there was truly another satyr, Grover would be the best man for the job of helping her feel at home. 

I pushed myself off the windowsill and patted him on the shoulder, gaining his attention. "It's okay, buddy. We'll be back soon, no problem." I could tell he wanted to fight me on it, but I appreciated it when he nodded and stepped back. I turned to Annabeth and gave a short smile. "We'll be back in time for s'mores and a campfire. Another celebration for another job well done." It wasn't phrased as a question, but Annabeth knew what I meant, nodding to agree that we would be okay. 

"Who are we taking?" Annabeth asked, her attention back on Chiron. I turned slightly to look at his face, which was full of unease. Didn't really help my 'we're gonna be fine' mood. 

"You'll need Nico and Hazel, given their connection with Hades," he said, his confident voice contrasting with the worry on his face. He thought for a second. "Will and Frank would never let you leave without them, either." I nodded, unable to fight the dry smile creeping on my face. 

"Why don't we just take everyone?" I asked, somewhat sarcastically. Chiron cocked his head, pondering my statement. 

"It wouldn't be a bad idea to do so," he said. I raised an eyebrow. "Just in case Hades tries to fight back, it would be better to have power in numbers. Hades is still part of the Big Three." Annabeth and I shared a look. She looked down and shoved her hands in her pockets, not able to accept the mission herself. I bit my lip and looked up to meet Chiron's eyes. 

"Looks like we're saving the world again."


	5. Nico

I smiled as the wind rushed through my hair, my jacket encircling me as if trying to protect me from the cold. I didn't mind the cold though, at least not now. I was too busy listening to the rippling of the ocean and the sounds of the Long Island Sound lapping on the shore to even notice that it was cold outside. This had become my favorite spot in camp, and I was extremely grateful to Percy for sharing it with me. For the past few weeks, Percy and I have been getting along great. Thankfully, he seemed to have forgotten about my confession to him after we both ended up in stable relationships, and it was much easier to chill out with him without the constant 'you-told-him-you-loved-him' memory hanging around. As a matter of fact, I was fairly happy to realize that no one cared about my confession way back when.

Well... no one other than Hazel. 

For some odd reason, she was under the impression that I still loved Percy. Part of me knew I would always love Percy, but I refused to accept that it was still something that took up space in my mind. I was with Will, now. I liked having a badass boyfriend who would also help nurse me back to health if I do something stupid. Every few days Hazel would come up and 'check' on me, asking me things like, 'How are you and Will?', 'Were you with Percy earlier?', or 'Have you and Will gotten into any fights?' I couldn't take it anymore. I knew she just wanted me to be happy, and I knew that she was worried that at some point my love for Will would be clouded by my love for Percy, but I didn't know how to tell her that she didn't have to worry about it. We were all perfect, and nothing would ever change that.

A soft rustling in the bushes caught my attention and my head snapped over to identify my mystery visitor. A head of blonde hair almost made me want to greet Will, but a signature beaded necklace caused my brows to furrow.

"Annabeth?" I said, shocked. I felt a sting in my lower gut at the fact that Annabeth knew about Percy's secret spot. I repressed the feeling, somewhat irritated with the annoyance that had started to build up. Of course, Annabeth knows about it. The two had probably made out dozens of times on the shore alone. I felt my face scrunched up in disgust at the thought, pulling my hands away from the sand and into my lap.

"Are you okay?" Annabeth asked, seeing my face. I nodded, shaking the thought away. 

"Peachy," I responded.  _ Note to self: maybe don't visualize Percy and Annabeth making out anymore... _ I stood, sensing tension in the air as Annabeth fought to evade my eyes, "Are you?"

"Something... happened," she started, uneasiness in her tone. I raised an eyebrow, the anxiousness catching my attention. "Percy should've been the one to do this, really. I'm really not the right person to tell you about it." She was shaking her head, almost as if she had started talking to herself half-way through, her ponytail swinging behind her head. I grabbed her shoulders to stabilize her. She froze at my touch looking almost thankful for trying to calm her down. The only reason I had even grabbed her was to stop her blonde hair from reflecting the sun into my eyes, but I was fine with her thinking whatever she wanted. 

"What happened?" I asked, trying to get something manageable out of her. I just barely noticed her bite the inside of her cheek before finally opening her mouth to answer.

"We need your help," she said. At my expectant look, she continued. "Hades may or may not be behind a series of events that have been staged against the Gods so he could take over Olympus and bring the world to an untimely end."

"You should write the SparkNotes summaries," I muttered, letting go of her to process what she had said. I felt her eyes on me as I turned towards the water again, finding that it soothed me just to watch it. 

"I'm so so-" she started. She didn't get much out before I interrupted, spinning back to face her. 

"I can't fight my father. He's really all I've got left in the  _ family _ department." Annabeth gave me a pitying look that, unfortunately, I recognized all too well. I had been given the exact look from everyone in camp after Bianca's death. It definitely wasn't my favorite look, but coming from Annabeth, I knew whatever she was going to say would be way worse than anything she had just told me. "Let me guess. It gets worse?" Annabeth nodded.

"They say he's doing it because he's being persuaded by Bianca." My entire body froze, a mix of anger and sadness welling up inside me at the accusations thrown out against my sister. 

"What did you say?" I asked her, my voice becoming eerily low and gravely, startling the both of us. Annabeth looked at me with eyes full of sympathy, but I couldn't muster up the energy to care. "Who in their right mind blamed her for  _ his _ actions?" Annabeth let out a soft sigh, looking down at the sand. 

"Zeus and Poseidon."

My blood practically boiled as the names escaped Annabeth's lips. I was supposed to trust  _ them _ ? My father and sister were being accused of crimes against the Gods by his  _ brothers _ ? I was supposed to put my trust in a  _ sibling rivalry... _ I shook my head, feeling my nails dig into my palms as I tightened my hands into fists. Annabeth tried to speak, but I waved her off. 

"Where is Percy?" I asked her through my gritted teeth. She nodded, turning her face away from me as she led me back through the forest. With a few deep breaths, I relaxed my fists, needing to be calm for when I questioned Percy. I could see Annabeth's head turning - ever so slightly - every now and then, almost as if she wanted to say something. I was happy she kept quiet, though. As bad as I felt about treating her the way I did, I wasn't sure I would be able to keep my temper in check if she said anything more about my sister. 

I wasn't sure how anyone, even Zeus and Poseidon, could blame Bianca for Hades' wrong-doings if he was the one who was doing it in the first place. Bianca had always been kind to everyone. There was no way she had persuaded Hades to risk the lives of humans to wage war against the Gods. There had to be a mistake. Some sort of frame job. 

Annabeth held up a low-hanging tree branch for me as we emerged from the forest. She gestured towards my right and I turned, seeing Percy in the process of standing at our arrival. 

"He didn't have the heart to tell you himself," Annabeth whispered, almost as an explanation for Percy's presence. 

"But he still wanted to be there for you when you told me," I said. "I get it." Annabeth sputtered slightly behind me, but I waved her stutters aside and moved to Percy. His eyes held an odd mixture of fury and sympathy. If I had to guess, he was just as angered by the accusations against my sister as I was. The sight made me feel a slight bit better about the whole ordeal. Sadly, it would take more than emotions clouded behind an eye to calm me down. 

"Your father?" I asked him, unable to form the full question. I took a split second to thank the Gods - not Zeus or Poseidon, though; they could rot in a ditch for all I cared - for Percy's understanding. 

"I trust him, but I don't like what he's saying," he started. "I know he's wrong about Bianca, but I can't think of any other reason Hades would risk it." As awful as the words were, I knew what he was saying made sense. Hades would never intentionally risk lives like that again. He'd only do it if given the proper motivation, and the persuasions of his daughter were probably pretty high in regard. 

"Maybe it's not him," I got out. 

"Who else would wage war against the Gods?" Percy asked, his voice rising. Mine quickly rose to meet it. 

"Maybe the God of  _ War _ ?" I exclaimed, hopelessness coursing through my veins as the reality started to set in. Had my father really started a war? Percy grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. I jumped slightly in his arms, not sure I wanted to be touched in my current state but also not wanting to protest the display of affection. As much as I hated that I felt this way, the anger inside my chest was slowly dissipating. 

"I'm sorry," Percy whispered, tightening his grip. I bit the inside of my cheek, fighting the warmth spreading to fill every inch of my body. I cleared my throat, pushing away from him to look him in the eyes. 

"I have to know the truth," I said. Percy nodded, his lips forming a tight smile. 

"That's why you're coming with us-" I felt my eyes widen at his statement. "-They all are."

"Speaking of," Annabeth piped up, jumping into the conversation. I flinched at the sound, forgetting that she was around and instantly regretting it. "We should notify the others." Percy nodded to her over my shoulder and gripped my shoulder. 

"Meet us at the tree in an hour, okay?" he asked me. I gave a curt nod before backing away from his touch, not wanting to accept the warmth that erupted from the contact. Noticing my movement, he jogged to meet Annabeth, who had already started towards the cabins. I felt my heart sting as I watched him leave, and as much as I wanted to blame it on the news of my father and sister, I knew the truth. Dear Gods, I was still in love with Percy Jackson. 


End file.
